Warlock Channeling Flavor...

[Garthanos]

I am a real fan of the default flavors of the Warlock class I mean how awesome is... "Channelling arcane might wrested from primeval entities" that just rocks.

Even the methods they exploit Constitution or Charisma for their power invoke very interesting flavor.

Constitution

• Direct Use of there own life force
• Promise of the future gift where the quality of their eventual sacrifice to their pact holder is based on the might of their life energies
• The act of resisting the pain of alien power source being channeled in to this universe by way of there body... ie your ability to resist that pain governs the control you have over it.

Charisma

• having the will to resist the pleasure which channelling your power induces.
• clever bending of the rules of this universe (I would love Arcana to be based on charisma for this one).
• tricking/seducing the other worldly entities in to giving you power they dont necessarily want you to have.
• The voice of power - many warlock powers are psychic and remember communication is a medium of control - perhaps you were chosen to be the voice of this other world entity and your ability is entirely eldritch charm.

Sure thats actually not actually reflavoring its more elaborating ;p

I am also very impressed when somebody goes beyond the defaults I have seen a description for a Warforged Warlock where the shadow walk was flavored as belching smoke and attacks like lasers and flame throwers a real magi-tech (I guess a natural implication of Warforged eh).

Anyway I sometimes start threads hoping to inspire and get inspiration on reflavoring of the powers the first I seen of this sort was for Wizard powers
and started one here on Fighter powers which was very successful I was wondering if folk would help.

The idea is in someways to break imagination lock

 

[Garthanos]

Here is some flavors for eldritch strike including one that isnt very eldritch at all.

Eldritch Strike

• Glare of the Possessed : An intimidating roar mingled with a spirited smashing attack and your enemy cannot resist drawing back.
  
• Otherworld flames: I wreath my weapon in flames in which you can see other worlds if you look closely enough - space itself warps and slides my enemies back when the flames lick them.
  
• Slash to the Knees : Nothing special I try to cut his legs out from under him and he staggers back
• Saurons Smashback : a booming force with every stroke pushing back your enemy

 

[Ryujin]

It's things like this, that help with the immersion required for the suspension of reality, so endemic to role playing. Without it, any RPG might as well be button-pushing in a video game.

My Feylock's curse was a burning eldritch symbol, blazing on the forehead (where anatomically appropriate) of the subject. When I took my second Pact, Dark, the blazon became black fire. I've frequently comment here about launching my "necrotic smoke rings", when describing attacks with Cursebite and Cursegrind, because I always envisioned them as a wave of shadowy smoke that started from the point where I slammed my rod into the ground, washing out over the surrounding enemies.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Quoting myself from elsewhen:

That IS one aspect of my PC's personality, but so is the astronomy/astrology aspect. Certain shooting stars are believed to be "seeds" from the Far Realms, meant to release aberrations into the world, gleaned from the eerie structures of those that failed to hatch...

(see Imilac and Esquel)

So his clan's duty is to monitor the skies from their mountain holdfast and hunt down the aberrations that may be invading the world. Mythos horror & arcana is thus linked to science and pseudoscience.

To further that end, I did rename all of his powers. I even posted about the process of doing so here: http://www.enworld.org/forum/d-d-4th-edition-discussion/279120-renaming-powers-thematically.html

For example: "Dire Radiance" is known as "Colour out of Space" on my Starlock's sheet and in play.

And I liked doing that so much, it has become the norm for all of my 4Ed PC designs. An Arabic themed Dragonborn Paladin|Sorcerer/Warlock I have yet to play- Rigel Ibn Azimech- has powers like "Bahamut's Growl" and "In the Fearsome Presence of Io" ("Valorous Smite" and "Dire Radiance", respectively).

 

[Minigiant]

My first star pact half elf warlock gained his powers after counting the stars on his birthday. One that day he was contacted by 3 beings of arcane power. They came to him as small blinking orbs and spoke to him telepathically. He made a pact with them to gain his powers, each granting him skills via his various abilities.

The first was the Biting One. The Biting One would painfully possess him for a moment to cast spells through his body. The longer he could resist the pain (via his Constitution), the more time the Biting One had to fire off magic. Dire Radiance was renamed Radiant Tooth. Hunger of Hadar became Hunger of The Biting One until he learned who the Biting One was an aspect of.

The second was the Licking One. Its tongues was the energy behind some of his power. The warlock had to mentally wrangle the Licking One into aiming straight at targets with his Charisma. When he was closes to an enemy, he could go a little easier on the least and let the Licking One unleash more power for greater accuracy (Prime Shot). The flailing tongue also granted concealment as he walked.

And the final one was the Mouthing One, who invoked his curse. The Mouthing one would whisper the Secret of Pain and Death when commanded into the nearest enemy's ear for the Warlock's Curse. The secret was that it was casting a contingent divination ritual powered by the enemy's fading life force to give the warlock information and boon.

 

[Wormwood]

Eldritch Strike (feypact): Moonbolt
Manifested as a shortbow of shimmering moonlight which sent silvery shafts of light at her enemies.
Warlock's Curse (feypact): Oblivion Gaze
When faced with an enemy, her elf eyes were replaced by those of her archfey patron's---cold and hungry. So hungry.

Blade of Winter's Mourning (Feypact Hexblade): Black talons
Rather than manifesting as a blade, his hand withered into a frostbitten claw.

 

[Garthanos]

It's things like this, that help with the immersion required for the suspension of reality, so endemic to role playing. Without it, any RPG might as well be button-pushing in a video game.

I sometimes call myself a closet simulationist - but I do like that the muscle of what things "represent" are in my hands its why I am less than fond of low option classes.

I can build a Blood manipulating Vampire whose curse leaks in to his allies, out of a Cleric Hybrid Invoker

 

[Garthanos]

Quoting myself from elsewhen:



To further that end, I did rename all of his powers. I even posted about the process of doing so here: http://www.enworld.org/forum/d-d-4th-edition-discussion/279120-renaming-powers-thematically.html

For example: "Dire Radiance" is known as "Colour out of Space" on my Starlock's sheet and in play.

And I liked doing that so much, it has become the norm for all of my 4Ed PC designs. An Arabic themed Dragonborn Paladin|Sorcerer/Warlock I have yet to play- Rigel Ibn Azimech- has powers like "Bahamut's Growl" and "In the Fearsome Presence of Io" ("Valorous Smite" and "Dire Radiance", respectively).

I have great fondness for Io themed elements and have created Paladin|Locks who are empowered by Io directly but revere Bahamut.. such that they feel they emulate Bahamut by turning the dragons power towards Justice rather than being like Tiamat and allowing its corruption
in to Vengeance - with this model the radiant attacks are all visualized as "true" fire.

Cool on using Arabic themes I like real world invading the game an aweful lot... the Vietnamese Nobility according to there legends are real life Dragonborn...(likely in human form)

 

[Garthanos]

Saurons Smash
The Lord of the Rings movie got me thinking and at first I thought well Eldritch Strike as a Saurons Smashing minions.... but then? I thought multiclass with wizard for a Thunder Wave to make it really big once per encounter...

 

[Nemesis Destiny]

I had a character ported from 3.x that I shoehorned into a Hexblade in 4e. For the longest time I didn't know what to make of him, but Hexblade fits perfectly - with some reflavouring.

He started out as a minor human noble, assigned as an ambassador to the neighbouring elven kingdom. He met and eventually married an elven noble, and it is through this bond that he gains his power (Fey Pact of the White Well).

When I started playing him in 3.x, he was a Rogue/Aristocrat (yes, I took an NPC class). He was the party face, and also being the toughest, tank as well. Laughable, I know, but it was a mostly RP campaign.

His hook at the time was rather lame - amnesia. He was a member of the thieves' guild. He couldn't remember anything about his former life or how he got there. All he had was a ring on his finger, with elven script, and a sword. At the end of that campaign he got his memory back, which was right around the time 4th came out. The problem was, I didn't know how to handle converting him, so I left him in NPC mode for a while.

Enter Essentials. Hexblade is a perfect fit. His wedding ring, representing his fey pact, acts as his rod, or rather his rod is refluffed as a ring - take your pick. The blade of the white well is the elven longsword that he carried all that time (which even in the old game had some mysterious radiant powers). Eldritch Bolt I am fluffing as his short bow (he had quick draw in 3.x, so the fact that he can still quickly switch between melee and ranged still works thematically).

The summoned Mourning Handmaiden, I'm refluffing as him summoning his spellcasting wife to his side (or at least a projection of her).

All the teleports are being reflavoured as acrobatic fencing moves and fancy footwork. He still has the same face and roguey skills as before, and I've multiclassed bard (now Skald, because that aura - it's awesome!).

Since he mostly relies on basic attacks, I don't need to reflavour a lot of powers. I chose mostly social skill buffs, skill powers, and theme utilities, so that isn't an issue either. What few Warlock dailies he has, I've tried to fluff as him tapping into this source of elvish magic that he really has no understanding of. He did not take skill training in Arcana to represent this.